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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · kick · row · clip · cabinet · mate · arm · can

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. craft — boats
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mate — a partner
  11. clip — to cut
  12. can — to be able to
  13. kick — in football
  14. can — a tin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. row — a line
  17. can — a tin
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — a video
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com